Lock mechanism



Sept. 23, 1958 J. B. cATTERALL LOCK MECHANISM Filed March 13 INVENT OR ATTORNEY LOCK NIECHANISM John B. Catterall, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Herring- Hall-Marvin Safe Company, Hamilton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March13, 1957, Serial No. 645,755

1 Claim. (Cl. 70-320) The present invention relates broadly to lock mechanisms and more specifically to a lock mechanism for safes, security file cabinets and the like having at least two locks which are separately and spacedly mounted and each of which can control the locking or unlocking of a drawer, door or the like.

More specifically the present invention relates to means for selectively operating one or two locks through a reciprocating spindle engageable with selectively operable lock actuating gears.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a locking mechanism which permits one or two locks to be selectively used with a minimum of mechanism, and which mechanism is of a simple and sturdy design.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a lock selecting device having a reciprocatable spindle selectively engageable with lock driving gears for a pair of spaced and separately operable locks, and which spindle can be locked in one position for use in conjunction with a single one of a pair of locks.

The advantages of a pair of locks for use in connection with doors, drawers or the like are numerous from the standpoint of security, and additionally from the standpoint of insurance in the event that one of the locks when in open position, for example, is damaged or inactivated. Further, from the standpoint of preventing unauthorized entry into a safe or the like, the use of a plurality of locks greatly enhances the protection.

The device of the present invention, while actuatable to operate a plurality of spaced tumbler locks or the like, is of a simple design requiring a minimum of mechanism and is susceptible of simple operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the device of the invention, portions being shown in elevation for clarity, taken on line 1-1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is an elevation view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of locking means for the reciprocatable spindle.

In the various figures of the drawing, like reference numerals are applied to like parts.

In the drawings, only those portions of the device are shown which are necesary to an understanding of the invention. These include, for example only, a fragmentarily shown door front plate and a door back plate 12 incorporated in a door structure in any desired manner. A lock plate 14 is utilized in parallel spaced relationship with door backplate 12. Tumbler looks or the like 16 and 18 of any known type are secured to the rear face of lock plate 14 by means of screws or bolts such as at 20, and as will be seen from the drawings they are in spaced relationship to one another.

Mounted between back door plate 10 and lock mounting plate 14 are support plates 22 and 24, spaced apart by means of spacers 26, and the structure is securedinposition by means of bolts 28 which extend through front plate 12, support plates 22 and 24, spacer 26, and are secured in lock plate 14. The tumbler locks-16 and 18 have gear housings 30 and 32 respectively in which are rotatable gears, not shown, carried on the ends of spindles 34 and 36 for cooperation in a usual manner with the tumbler locks for actuation thereof. The free ends of spindles 34 and 36 carry nuts 38 and 40 which maintain them in their proper position. The gears are preferably splined or otherwise secured on the spindles. The spindles extend through openings in the lock plate 14 and into the area defined between the plates 22 and 24. The free ends of the spindles are journaled in openings such as at 42 in support plate 22. The spindle 36 has a gear 44 mounted thereon in abutment with support plate 24 and this in conjunction with nut 40 maintains spindle 36 in proper position.

Spindle 34 has a gear 46 secured thereon and in abutment with plate 22. This gear 46 is similar to the gear 44. A stop collar 48 is also secured on spindle 34 in abutment with plate 24 for maintaining spindle 34 in proper position. The gears 44 and 46 are for the purpose of rotational movement of the spindles 34 and 36 so as to rotate the gears carried thereon for actuating the respective tumbler locks 16 and 18.

A tumbler lock dial 50 is secured on spindle 52 which passes through the center of collar 54 attached to the door front plate 10. This spindle 52 passes through opening 56 in front door plate 10, and through opening 58 in the door backplate 12 and extends into the region between the support plates 22 and 24. A spindle extension 60 of smaller diameter is threadedly engaged in the end of spindle 52 at 62, and this spindle extension passes through opening 64 in lock plate 14 into and through a detent plate 66 which will be described in more detail hereinafter.

A first gear 68, in mesh with gear 46, is journaled on spindle 52 and a gear 70, in mesh with gear 44, is journaled on spindle extension 60. The gears 68 and 70 have a plurality of openings or recesses 72 in the inner opposing faces thereof, and which as shown in Figure 2 are arranged in the form of a non-equilateral isosceles triangle. A rotary member 74 is mounted at the intersection of spindle 52 and spindle extension 60 in fixed relationship thereon, and carries studs 76 on opposing faces thereof which are of equal number with the openings 72 in the gears 68 and 70, and which are likewise arranged in the form or shape of a non-equilateral isosceles triangle.

That portion of the spindle extension 60 within the confines of detent block or plate 66 has spaced grooves 78 and 80. A ball bearing or the like 82 is freely movably mounted in bore 84 in detent plate 66 and is spring biased by means of spring 86 into contacting position with spindle extension 60 and the grooves therein. A second bore 88 which is internally screw threaded is provided in detent plate 66 and accommodates an adjustable screw member 90 which is contactable with and in the grooves 78 and 80. If desired the screw member can be replaced by a spring pressed ball bearing, thus eliminating the spindle lock.

In operation, when the screw threaded member 90 is retracted from contact with the grooves in spindle extension 60, the spindle extension 60 together with spindle 52 and dial 50 can be longitudinally displaced or moved as indicated by the arrow 92 in Figure 1, since the ball 82 will be retracted into the bore 84 by means of pressure of the sides of the groove on the ball. Upon such displacement of the spindle and spindle extension, the rotatable member 74 will be moved so as to engage the studs 76 either in the openings 72 in gear 68 or in the openings in Patented Sept. 23, 1958- gear 70. When the spindle is moved to the left as shown in Figure 1, the gear 68 is rotatable by means of the studs engaging in the openings and this serves to rotate gear 46 and actuate tumbler or look 16 through spindle 34 and the gear thereon.

When the spindles are moved to theright'in Figure 1, the studs 76 will engage in the openings in gear'70 and through: gear 44 carried on spindle 36 will serve to actuate the tumbler lock 18.

The arrangement or positioning of the studs 76 is such that the dial numbers are in synchronous relationship With the tumblers in the two locks 16 and 18. This'is of extreme importance for proper actuation of the locks.

If it is desired to inactivate one or the other of the tumbler locks, and thereby utilize only a single lock, the screw threaded member 90 can, by being screwed into contact with either groove 78 or 80, lock the spindle extension and spindle in afixed position for actuation of a single lock only.

The operation and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the foregoing description, although manifestly minor changes in details of construction can be effected in the device without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in and limited solely by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A lock actuating mechanism for selectively actuating apair of spaced tumbler locks comprising a tumbler shaft for each said lock, an axially moveable spindle intermediate said tumbler shafts, means engageable by said axially movable spindle for selectively actuatingone orthe other of said tumbler shafts, including a gear secured on each said tumbler shaft, axially spaced co-axial gears in engagement with respective ones of said tumbler shaft gears for actuation of said shafts, said axially spaced gears having a plurality of spaced recesses in the opposing faces thereof, a rotary member secured on said spindle, a plurality of studs on opposite faces of said rotary member corresponding in number and spacing with the recesses inrespective ones of said axially spaced gears and adapted for selective engagement therein upon axial shifting of said spindle to selectively actuate said locks, said recesses and said studs being arranged in sets in the shapes of non-equilateral isosceles triangles, and

a tumbler dial on said spindle having dial numerals thereon, said dial numerals being in synchronous relationship With the tumblers of said locks through respective sets of said recesses and studs.

References (Iitedl in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 107,190 Miller Sept. 6, 1870 1,734,579 Higgins Nov. 5, 1929 2,047,966 Jacobi July 21, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,001,721 France Oct. 24, 1951 

